Communities

Arab TV in the UK

Arabic is the main language of more than 200,000 people in England and Wales, from Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, Libya and the Gulf. The census counts more than 330,000 people who describe their ethnic group as Arab. The largest Arab communities are in Birmingham, Brent, Ealing, Westminster (around Edgware Road), Manchester and Sheffield.

Updated 6 October 2026 · By the IPTV UK editorial desk

How do Arab families in the UK watch TV?

Pan-Arab channels such as MBC are shared across countries, while news and football tend to follow the family's own country: 2M and Al Aoula for Moroccan homes, Echorouk for Algerian ones. Ramadan series are the peak of the year.

What does the census say?

Measure	People
Born in the Arab world Census 2021 TS012, Iraq	89,394
Main language: Arabic Census 2021 TS024, people aged 3 and over	203,998
Ethnic group: Arab Census 2021 TS021	331,844

Where does the community live?

The council areas in England and Wales with the most people counted by the ethnic-group figure, out of 318:

Birmingham19,1961.7% of residents
Brent17,9245.3% of residents
Ealing16,1054.4% of residents
Westminster15,4397.6% of residents
Manchester15,0282.7% of residents
Sheffield8,9561.6% of residents
Liverpool8,3121.7% of residents
Barnet7,3831.9% of residents

Our town pages with a large Arab community: Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Cardiff, Newcastle upon Tyne, Brighton and Hove.

This is what people from the community ask us about, not a promise that every channel is in the line-up today. We confirm specific channels in writing before you buy.

Ask us to confirm these channels

What are the legal ways to watch from the UK?

ShahidMBC's streaming service is sold in the UK, with Ramadan series and Arabic films.
Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya onlineBoth news channels stream live, free, on their websites and YouTube.
BBC News ArabicThe BBC's Arabic service streams online.

Availability and prices change; check the provider's own site before you subscribe.

Sport and kick-off times

The Champions League, the Saudi Pro League, the Botola Pro in Morocco and AFCON.

Time in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf now—

UK time now—

Saudi Arabia and the Gulf is 2 hours ahead of the UK in the British summer and 3 hours ahead of the UK in winter. Busiest viewing: Ramadan series and AFCON.

Try it before you pay

The free 24-hour trial gives the full line-up, including the channel groups for Arabic. If it suits your family, plans start at £6.25 a month.

More communities

Other community pages

Readers also ask

How many Arab families live in England and Wales?

Census 2021 counted 89,394 (born in the Arab world); 203,998 (main language: Arabic); 331,844 (ethnic group: Arab). Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate censuses.

Can I watch MBC 1 in the UK?

Ask us before you buy and we confirm in writing whether it is in the current line-up, or check it during the free 24-hour trial. Legal routes from the UK include Shahid, Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya online, BBC News Arabic.

What time are Saudi Arabia and the Gulf programmes in the UK?

Saudi Arabia and the Gulf is 2 hours ahead of the UK in the British summer and 3 hours ahead of the UK in winter. So a 9pm programme at home airs at 19:00 UK time in summer.

Sources

Census 2021, TS012 Country of birth (detailed) checked 6 October 2026
Census 2021, TS024 Main language (detailed) checked 6 October 2026
Census 2021, TS021 Ethnic group checked 6 October 2026

Try before you pay

Watch it on your own telly for 24 hours. Free.

Send a message and we reply with your log-in, usually within minutes. If you buy afterwards, plans start at £6.25 a month, and the first 14 days are covered by a full refund.

Ask on WhatsApp Ask by email